The Spider's Web (1960)

The wife (Glynis Johns) of a Foreign Office diplomat (John Justin, THIEF OF BAGDAD) has an overactive imagination. Shortly before her husband is due home with some very important foreign dignitaries, she discovers a dead body in the parlor and she enlists the aid of three friends (Jack Hulbert, Ronald Howard, Basil Dignam) to hide the body before her spouse arrives. Alas, someone has tipped off the police that a murder has taken place! Based on an original stage play by Agatha Christie (not based on any of her books) and directed by Godfrey Grayson. This is a rather odd effort on Christie's part in that it's a farcical murder mystery rather than a typical Christie mystery. The closest I can compare it to is Hitchcock's THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY although it's nowhere near as witty. It's based on a play and it shows it. The action all takes place in a country house and most of it takes place in the parlor and it's almost a half hour before the body shows up! I enjoyed it but I suspect that non Christie fans might find it tedious with all the talk. The possible suspects are rather limited which makes it easier to guess whodunit. With Cicely Courtneidge, Ferdy Mayne, Peter Butterworth, David Nixon and Anton Rodgers.